at least it kept my impulse buying in check

Well it's official-I finally won another addition to my set of mid-range Walkers. As my collecting has evolved I have become more like my friends LowBudget, Yevrah and Izzysdad...I'm buying fewer and fewer coins but not really spending less annually. What has happened is that I'm more focused on just a few sets and buying only upper/top grade coins.

So several weeks ago I saw a couple of nice MS67's that would be auctioned off on Feb. 12th at a Scotsman auction. I really had my eye on one in particular. It was a 1936 MS67..an easier date but scarce in MS67 and of this strike quality. Well I placed a bid and checked in on occasion to see how well my bid was holding up. Just 2 days before the live auction and the end of internet bidding someone bid just $25 short of my High bid--only one increment.

I had held off on any new purchases because I had an active bid and didn't want to overstretch myself ( I never use credit cards to buy coins). Anyhow, I upped my bid another 2 increments and decided to let the chips fall where they may. Fortunately the price did not increase and I won with my original bid..so after several weeks of waiting I have won the coin...add a few more days for shipping and I can add it to my set !!

On another note, I too get a bit frustrated at times with the registry but for different issues. I have no problems with PCGS coins in our registry--unless it is one of those Last Minute Registry Participants from the PCGS registry whose entire set is all PCGS coins. I slowly built my set all year of Walkers and cracked the top ten--a nice accomplishment for this popular series. and GM Chow battled all year with Lantern for the #1 spot..then the last 2 weeks or so--TADA !!...two outrageously highly valued sets appear in the #1 and 2 slots..that would have sent me into fits..

Anyhow, my biggest registry complaint will always be how points are assigned. Within the sets themselves there is no problem as everyone works off the same point tables..however when one compares series to series things are seriously skewed..

Let's take a look at 2 series and compare some numbers shall we?

A twelve coin set of PF70 Prezzies is worth 10,000+ points !! There are currently 71,084 NGC PF70's alone ( not counting the tens of thousands of PCGS 70's) for the 12 coins that have been issued so far in 3 years.

By comparison, since I collect them, the Canadian proof dime has had 33 different issues in the 30 years of the series. In the 30+ years of this series there have been a TOTAL of just 16 coins graded PF70 !! Three of those years have 2 at 70 and Ten years have only a single PF70...and 17 years have no coins graded at PF70 !! Talk about Rare !!..However if I were to assemble an entire set of all 33 coins..with the ultra-rare PF 70's for every year available and 69's in the other 17 slots...technically the finest known, TOP-POP coin for EVERY YEAR FOR 30+ years..the total registry point value would be 8500 points...if you assemble the 12 prezzies in PF70 from the 71,000+ NGC coins you get a whopping 10,896 points...

I understand from a business standpoint why NGC does this..they make more money grading prezzie submissions and higher points mean more registry collectors seeking out these coins for points..but as a collector...well it's frustrating..

I have single coins that cost more than an entire Prezzie set that only get 200-300 points...I guess in the end I'll just be satisfied with the knowledge that if I need to sell that my 300 point coin will get $800...I'd rather have that than a 10,000 point set worth $300..

Oh well, my vent is over..and by the way Jay..I can't believe your 1953-67 PL set is only worth 2700 points total..some of your top-pop coins in that set sell for near $500 or so..An amazing set you've assembled..

Here's my new addition..NGC MS67 Walker 1936..fantastic strike and just enough color to make the coin distinctive..